Erdogan telephones Abbas, Olmert in bid to defuse mideast tension

In a bid to defuse rising tensions in the wake of mutual rocket attacks and bombings, over the last two days Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made telephone calls to both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Israeli counterpart Ehud Olmert. Speaking to Abbas, Erdogan urged moderation to help end the current tension and conflicts, and Abbas asked for his help and support. Erdogan told Olmert that Israel's recent bombings were unacceptable and only served to block peace efforts. Erdogan also told Olmert about Turkish food aid shipments to Palestinians being held up at the Gaza border, asking him to expedite the arrival of this aid.